Pokémon: Emerald Legends
by Chartlesaur
Summary: The adventures of a new trainer, coordinator, and racer in the Hoenn region. (Updated, Chapter 6)
1. Exam

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Pokémon. However, I do own this fic.

**Pokémon: Emerald Legends **

By: Chartlesaur

**Chapter 1: Exam**

It was a typical morning as the sun rose in the town of Littleroot. As the darkness disappeared from the skies, shadows began to cast from the many buildings. People all over the town began to stir and prepare for a brand new day. They were greeted by beautiful singing from wild Taillows. Some may wonder what a Taillow is but many know that they're a Pokémon, creatures other than humans living on the planet.

Most people got up that morning with nothing special planned. It was just another school day for students and another workday for workers. However, to a young boy it was the most important day of the year (besides his birthday of course). Tyson Woods, ten years old, brown-haired, and extremely excited, got up and dressed. He looked in the mirror and saw himself looking back with a grin. He was ready.

"Tyson! Your breakfast is getting cold!" his mother called.

Tyson's parents ran a Pokémon School in Littleroot Town. His father, Ronald Woods, taught Pokémon Training, Strategies, and Stats with retired trainers living in the town. Jane Woods, however, was a teacher of Pokémon Coordinating, Communications, and Legends. There were other subjects too but those were the main focus.

Tyson grabbed his green backpack and headed downstairs. He was so happy that he started to run but ended up tripping on the steps and crashed down the stairs with a bang.

"Are you alright? Did you fall down the stairs again?" Mrs. Woods asked with a very slight tone of worry.

"I'm fine! I'm pretty much used to it by now." Tyson got up and walked into the kitchen.

It was 7:32. Tyson ate his eggs and bacon quickly.

"Don't rush it. You have plenty of time before your exam." his mother commented.

"I just don't want to be late. I spent all night studying and it'd be a shame to not get my license just because I wasn't on time. Besides, I'm supposed to meet Rika to go over our notes before the exam."

"Just don't worry about it too much..." Jane started to look a little sad at the thought that her son was about to leave home to go on a journey.

"What's wrong?" Tyson wondered.

"Oh, it's nothing. Anyways, we better get going. Your father's already at the school. If you're meeting Rika, we might as well leave now if you want time to study."

The two finished up their breakfast and proceeded to the car. Tyson took out his study notes and began to read them over. The exam that he was studying for was the Pokémon License Exam. It was a new rule that all potential trainers, coordinators, basically anything that requires traveling, must write and pass the test. The rule was started mainly for safety since statistics showed that many trainers didn't study their Pokémon using their Pokédex and end up hurting themselves or their Pokémon. Of course, many people responded negatively but the majority agreed that it was a good idea.

Tyson and his mother finally arrived at the school. The white building itself was two floored so it appeared to be pretty big, especially when added with the size of the gymnasium and the training fields outside. Kids from as young as six years old and as old as eighteen years old could be seen doing just about anything Pokémon related on the school grounds. Some ran around pretending to be Pokémon, some reading Pokémon magazines, some were even trading Pokémon cards. However, almost all the ten year olds were studying for their exam, since that was the age in which they could take it.

Rika was sitting in front of the main doors with her notebook opened. She was currently studying Pokémon Evolution, the topic that she had the most trouble with.

"Yo, Rika!" Tyson exclaimed as he got out of the car.

His friend looked up.

"What took you so long! I've been here since seven! I really needed your help with this evolution stuff!"

"There's a greeting..." Tyson muttered as he walked towards her.

"Seriously! I said seven, not-" Rika took a quick glance at her watch, "Eight eleven! And another thing, YOU were supposed to send me data on the three starter Pokémon last night! I waited for two hours! Sometimes you are so- Oh! Good morning Mrs. Woods! I didn't see you there."

"Good morning. I have to go inside but I'll see you two later. Good luck on your exam!" Jane Woods entered the school, leaving Tyson and Rika alone.

Tyson sat down and took out his notebook, while Rika turned the page in hers.

"Honestly, you're always letting me down." said Rika.

"At least I don't let you down when it's really important." Tyson smiled.

"Yeah, that happened like twice. Anyways, I don't understand this whole Upgrade thing."

"It's used with Porygon. If you let Porygon hold it, it'll evolve into Porygon2..."

The conversation went on as the two old friends helped each other study. Eventually, the school's "bell", Aipom, used his Screech to signal that students should head for class. It might be loud but people that are late can't say they didn't hear the bell!

* * *

_Yes..._

A small figure sat on a throne-like chair inside a dark room where almost nothing could be seen. The figure was fully covered with a black cloak except for one eye. It was a dark eye for it glowed with evil.

_You three pass..._

Three Pokémon kneeled before the figure.

_The Creature of Disaster...of Moon...of Darkness..._

There was silence for a moment in which the three kneeling Pokémon didn't dare to move or speak. The room was still just as dark as the figure thought to itself.

_Yes...Revenge will be mine... __

* * *

_

Tyson wrote the exam fairly quickly. In fact, most people did or tried since it was about thirty pages long. It covered just about everything from Pokémon lifespan to safety from specialized attacks in a multiple-choice format.

Rika skipped the evolution part and completed everything else. When she came back to it, she couldn't get any of the answers!

_Why should you be wary about evolving a Magikarp? _Rika read the first question over and over but couldn't answer it. She went to the next one with the same results.

_Forget the answers! I don't even get the questions! _She thought to herself.

"Ten minutes left!" Professor Birch announced. The professor took time off from his researching to oversee the examination. Besides, he had to bring the starter Pokémon.

Rika went into a state of panic and started to sweat. There was nothing else she could do so she decided to just guess the rest.

_I can't get all of them wrong..._

After the ten minutes were up, all the papers were collected. They were to be marked by machine so the students could get their results right after lunch. Every ten-year-old went out of the classroom with hopes that they passed.


	2. Journey's Start

**Chapter 2: Journey's Start**

"I hope I passed. Do you think I passed? Well, do you?"

These were Rika's questions to Tyson on the way back into the classroom.

"Yes, I think you passed! Stop asking me!" he was obviously annoyed.

The two of them took their seats along with all the other students. They were anxious to know their results. Professor Birch began to call them all one by one to get their papers back. Only those with a seventy percent could get a license.

Soon, Rika was called up. She walked nervously to the front, almost tripping on the desks but managed to maintain balance. Once she reached the professor, she took her paper.

"Relax, you did fine." Birch whispered, noticing Rika's nervousness.

Rika looked at her mark and saw an eighty-three percent. She almost squealed in excitement but she didn't want to embarrass herself. After a couple of more names were called, Tyson also found out that he had passed. He gave a shout of triumph, which ended with him falling on his face.

"Now, those that did not pass this time around can still try again next week. If you don't pass the retest, however, you won't be able to try again until next year. I'd be happy to help anyone who doesn't understand something." Professor Birch's words gave a ray of hope for some people.

Everyone was dismissed and those that wanted their license were to go to the gymnasium, where they would receive a starter Pokémon if they wished, a Pokédex, and a license card. They all walked into the gym and when Professor Birch entered, he gave a set of instructions.

"Everyone! Line up single-filed at the table where the Pokédexes are. My assistant, Miles, is there to hand them out. Next, you need to upload your information into the Pokédex with Nurse Joy, who came from Oldale to help us out. You will also receive your license card at that time. Once you have done that, come to me for a starter Pokémon. You may leave if you already have one from somewhere else."

With that, everyone lined up. The gym was pretty loud since everyone was excited.

"So, a Pokédex records information about Pokémon?" Rika asked Tyson.

"Yep! It's a pretty handy piece of machinery. It's basically an electronic encyclopedia on Pokémon." Tyson replied.

The two of them received their Pokédex and turned it on. It wasn't all too exciting since nothing's been recorded yet. Next up was uploading their personal information and other administrative things.

"Hello, may I see you Pokédex?" Nurse Joy asked in a sweet voice.

Tyson handed her his Pokédex. Joy inserted it into a computer and typed some information before asking another question.

"And what kind of license would you like?"

"Pokémon Trainer."

She typed the information in and handed back the Pokédex along with a card. The card had Tyson's school photo on it along with his name, I.D. number, and the words: "Official Pokémon Trainer". It was the same procedure for Rika except there was an interruption.

"What kind of license would you like?"

"Pokémon Coordinator." Rika answered slowly.

At the sound of this, Tyson was shocked. He immediately demanded to know why.

"Because I want to!" Rika shouted.

"But we were supposed to travel together!" Tyson replied.

"We still can! I just want to be a coordinator instead!"

"Fine!"

The two remained silent as the line moved on. Tyson couldn't believe her. After years of talking about journeying to gyms and one day competing in the Hoenn League together, Rika just changed her mind. Tyson always thought that they would face each other in the final round of the league but now it wasn't happening. Still, he knew it was her decision and she was his best friend.

"So, what kind of Pokémon would you like?" Professor Birch asked Tyson.

"I think I'm going to pick Torchic." he answered.

Professor Birch picked up a Pokéball from the middle of three shelves and released the Pokémon. A flash of red light came out of the ball and a small orange chick materialized.

"Torchic!" it exclaimed. The Pokémon looked around as if to find an opponent.

"This male Torchic is one that likes to pick a fight with others." Birch commented.

Tyson wasn't thrilled at that but decided to give him a chance.

"Hi Torchic. I'm Tyson and we're going to be partners." He reached out his hand.

The Pokémon looked at Tyson and appeared to be somewhat satisfied so he raised his claw. They both got off to a great start.

Rika was next and she received her female Mudkip with great enthusiasm. She hugged it tightly and the water Pokémon cried out happily.

"Hey, Rika," Tyson said when they left the gym, "Sorry about before. You know, with the whole coordinator thing."

"It's okay. So, I'll meet you at Route 101 tomorrow?"

"Sure." With that, they parted.

* * *

"Hey!"

It was after noon when Tyson finally reached Route 101. Rika was there first, as usual. He noticed that Mudkip was outside so he released Torchic as well. The fire type assumed there was a battle so he ran towards Mudkip, preparing for attack.

"Hey, Torchic! What are you doing?" Tyson cried out.

"Torch!"

"Mudkip, look out!" Rika shouted.

"Kip, mud!" she seemed a little frightened by the incoming chick.

Torchic used his claws and scratched the water Pokémon on the face. Mudkip fell backwards with minor scratch marks and immediately ran behind her trainer, crying.

"Torchic! I didn't tell you to attack..." Tyson returned him to his Pokéball.

"You better get control over that thing! Look what it did to poor Mudkip!" Rika said, while picking her Pokémon up, "It's a good thing I brought a Potion just in case."

The two started to walk towards Oldale, which was the closest town. They hoped to get there before nightfall. It was a sunny day so they shouldn't have too many problems. The route was surprisingly quiet. Usually, people would see wild Pokémon everywhere but the whole area was silent except for the calm breeze.

"So, how did goodbyes go with your folks?" Tyson asked after a period of silence.

"It was okay. I mean, sure, it's hard to leave, but no one cried or anything. And they absolutely adored Mudkip! My twin brothers even said it was cool. Plus, they loved the idea that I was going to be a coordinator because sometimes the contests are shown on T.V."

"Wow...my mom cried her eyes out after holding back these last couple of days. My dad was of course, proud that I was finally becoming a trainer. He even gave me this cool PokéNavi."

Tyson took out a small handheld machine. It was yellow with a LCD screen on it.

"What does it do?" Rika asked.

"It shows you a map of Hoenn and you can use it to record your battle records."

"That's pretty useful."

The two continued towards Oldale. The sky was still clear with the occasional lone cloud and the grass moving to the gentle breeze. Tyson and Rika were still oblivious to the fact that wild Pokémon were scarce. It wasn't until they reached a sign saying that Oldale was near that they noticed something strange.

"We're finally almost at Oldale," Rika said while checking her watch, "It's 2:02. Wow, we've been walking for like two hours."

"Hey, what's that over there?" Tyson pointed towards a tree.

"What? I don't see anything. Is this one of your stupid "made you look" thing?"

"No, I definitely saw something moving. I think it was a Pokémon." Tyson replied.

"Speaking of which, we haven't seen any at all, have we?" Rika remarked.

Suddenly, a white creature appeared from behind the tree that Tyson was pointing to. It had a black crescent-like blade on its head. The strange Pokémon was sniffing around like it was looking for something, or someone.

"Is that an..." Tyson was in disbelief, "Absol?"

"Absol? Wasn't that the name of the Pokémon that people thought brought disasters?"

"But they don't live around here. It probably has trainer."

The two friends stared at the dark Pokémon, wondering what it was doing. Absol looked up at them and the two froze. Rika tightened her hold on Mudkip, who she decided to let stay outside. All of a sudden, the dark Pokémon dashed off towards Littleroot Town. Although its fur was white, Tyson and Rika saw a black blur instead.

"That was odd." Tyson commented after.

They decided to press on, thinking that the Absol was just looking for its trainer. Rika recalled Mudkip to give her rest from walking.

It was around 2:15 when they finally arrived at Oldale. The town was a little bigger than Littleroot but they're both pretty similar.

Tyson and Rika headed for the Pokémon Center to rest first. After all, they had been walking for around two hours. Fortunately, the white building wasn't too far from Route 101. It had automatic doors, a red roof with a Pokéball insignia and the words P.C. on the window. Inside were a counter and many chairs and couches where people were currently waiting for their Pokémon to be healed.

"Looks like Nurse Joy have her hands full." Tyson commented.

"Let's go sit over there." Rika suggested.

They walked over to an area where three couches were positioned around a coffee table. There was a boy sitting there, reading a magazine. He had blonde hair and was wearing red and black, which happened to be Hoenn colors. When Tyson and Rika sat down, he looked up and greeted them.

"Hi! Did your Pokémon get hurt too?"

"No, we just got here from Littleroot Town and decided to rest for a bit." Tyson replied.

"Oh! So you two must have just gotten your license too! I got mine this morning!" he exclaimed.

"Congrats." Tyson said, mildly interested.

"So, it figures that a beautiful girl must have a beautiful Pokémon, right?" the boy asked.

Rika blushed a little and Tyson was surprised at the comment.

"Yeah, I've got a Mudkip." She released her Pokémon.

As soon as Mudkip materialized from the red light, the boy stared at it for a couple of second before speaking again.

"That Mudkip is so...UGLY!"

"EXCUSE ME?" Rika was immediately angered by the comment. She was so loud that some people turned around to look.

"Well yeah! Look at her eyes; they're practically crooked! And that color...Blue is possibly the worst color on a Pokémon. I mean come on, you're not blind are you?"

Tyson started to laugh so hard that Rika punched him in the face, which of course, silenced him. Mudkip looked sad and ran behind Rika, who stood up with her fist ready to fire at the boy.

"Whoa! Take it easy! Just kidding! Jeez, some people just can't take a joke these days. Your Mudkip's just as beautiful as you are. Your light brown hair totally matches your blue jacket and orange shirt! And your skirt looks great on you!"

Rika started to retract her arm but was still a little annoyed.

"Who are you anyways?" she demanded.

"The name's Derek! That' D as in Donphan, E as in Exploud, R as in Raticate, E as in Exeggutor, and K as in Kingler!"

"My name's Tyson and this is Rika." Tyson introduced them both, after tending to his jaw.

"Talk about insanely boring names..." Derek commented.

"That's it! We are so leaving! Come on!" Rika recalled Mudkip and dragged Tyson out of the Pokémon Center.

"Hey! No need to be rude! You could have at least said 'see you later' or something!"

"I DON'T want to see you later!" Rika shouted back.

* * *

"The nerve of that guy..." Rika muttered after calming down a little bit.

The two beginning travelers decided to go to the PokéMart in town since stopping to rest turned out so bad. Besides, they needed supplies badly. They both bought Pokéballs, Potions, Antidotes, and Pokémon Food. They also bought food for themselves seeing as they were going to be traveling in the wild. Rika bought a ribbon case for her contests while Tyson bought a badge case for gym battles.

After leaving the PokéMart, the two headed back to the Pokémon Center where they were going to spend the night. Rika was hoping that Derek wasn't going to be there.

"So, tomorrow we head for Petalburg?" Tyson asked, before heading into his room.

"Yeah. There's a gym there for you to battle in." Rika answered

The two separated and went into their rooms.

* * *

_Excellent..._

Absol kneeled before the small figure. The room was still just as dark. The other two Pokémon weren't present.

_You have done well..._

"Ab...sol..." the creature growled.

The dark figure sat on the throne as its thoughts occupied it. It was clearly pleased with what was happening. The two stayed very still. They were as still as the small body in the dark corner.

* * *

The next morning, after eating breakfast, the two friends went to Route 102. It was a bright morning and they could hear Taillow singing all over the place. Everything was fine until a familiar voice caught their attention.

"Yo! Tyson! Rika!"

It was Derek. And if it wasn't him, it was a very good imitation. Rika immediately turned around and yelled at him.

"How dare you follow us! Didn't I say I didn't want to see your face again?!"

Derek ran up to them and released a Pokémon on the way. It was a small purple bird that went by the name of Taillow.

"Meet my Taillow, Rapid!"

"Taillow!" the Pokémon cried.

"Awesome! I'm guessing he's your starter." Tyson replied.

"No one asked to see your bird! In fact, no one asked to see your face!" Rika wasn't going to let his insults go.

"Ouch....You know, you're pretty mean for a pretty girl." Derek just gave a big smile, in which Rapid followed suite.

"Stop kidding around!" Rika went for a punch but missed.

Tyson just stood there laughing again. Rika may have looked mean but he had fond memories of them playing together when they were little.

"Calm down! I just wanted to know if I could go with you guys!"

Tyson thought about the idea. Sure, he was a complete stranger that they just met, but he thought the more the merrier.

"Sure, why not?" he answered.

"ARE YOU INSANE?" No surprise that Rika was against the idea. "We don't even know who he is! He could be a thief! He probably wants to steal our Pokémon! He's rude! He's mean! He's-"

"Welcome to the group, Derek and Rapid!"

Tyson shook hands with both of them.

"HEY! I NEVER AGREED TO ANYTHING!"

Little did the group know that as they conversed (or screamed), they were being watched by five eyes in the bushes.


	3. Route of Encounter

**Chapter 3: Route of Encounter**

Tyson, Rika, and their newly acquired companion, Derek, walked along the path on Route 102. After arguing for quite some time, Rika finally gave in and stayed quiet about Derek joining the group. Unlike Route 101, sounds of Pokémon could be heard in the air.

"Rapid's pretty energetic." Tyson commented.

Derek's Taillow flew above them gracefully. He didn't seem tired even though its been flying for quite some time. In fact, the bird was chirping cheerfully.

"Yep! It needs to be if we want to win Pokémon Races!" Derek replied in his usual shouting voice.

"Pokémon Races? I thought you were a trainer." Tyson replied.

"What gave you that idea? Nope! I'm a Pokémon Racer! Training's still required but only quick and speedy attacks need developing! Yep! I'm going to win all five races and get the medals. My dream is to enter the Pokémon Dash Grand Prix and win it like my father did!"

"That's awesome! That means all three of us are doing something different!"

"Really? So, Rika, what are you? Besides a pretty face of course."

The comment would normally make her blush but she knew that almost every complement Derek spews out means the opposite.

"I said stop doing that! And for your information, I'm a coordinator!" Rika shouted.

"Calm down, I thought we were done with the whole yelling at each other thing!"

"Practically every time you talk, you yell!"

Surprisingly, Derek didn't answer to that. Rika remained annoyed while Tyson just smiled.

The three of them continued walking until stopping to eat lunch. Rapid landed and dug right into his Pokémon Food. Rika released Mudkip, who still seemed a little scared after being attacked by Torchic. She wouldn't go anywhere near Rapid, fearing that he might attack her.

"Look what your Torchic did. Mudkip's still scared of Pokémon," Rika complained while picking Mudkip up, "Don't be scared, Mudkip. Here, have some Pokémon Food."

Tyson grabbed his Pokémon's Pokéball and released Torchic with caution. The fire type materialized and not surprisingly, ran towards Rapid, hoping to have the first attack.

"Torchic! Stop!" Tyson commanded.

"Torch!" He continued running anyway, ignoring the order.

"Taillow!"

"Yo! Get control of that Pokémon!" Derek cried.

Mudkip jumped into Rika's arms while Tyson dashed towards his Pokémon. He picked him up just before it reached Rapid.

"Chic, torch!" The Pokémon struggled to free himself but his trainer's grip was too strong.

"Sorry Torchic, but you have to learn to stop attacking others when it's not a battle!"

Tyson took Torchic away from the group to give him a private lesson in proper behavior. They went into a forested area near their stop.

"Okay, Torchic. I know you must have learned from someone that all you do is eat, sleep, and battle. Am I right?" Tyson asked.

"Torch." The chick nodded in understanding.

"Right. So, that's not the case. Pokémon do more than that. They make friends and get along with others. Battling is like a sport that a trainer and his Pokémon participate in."

Torchic stared at his trainer with confused eyes.

"You only battle when I tell you to, otherwise others won't like you very much or scared, like Rika's Mudkip. Of course, you can have your own say sometimes too. You need to judge when it's time for battling or time for just hanging out. Understand?"

Torchic nodded, although he still didn't fully grasp the concept.

The two prepared to go back to the others but something fell on Tyson's head with a loud thump! Torchic jumped in surprise while Tyson rubbed his head in pain.

"Ouch! What was that?"

He looked at the ground and saw what appeared to be a moving acorn. Tyson blinked for a minute, trying to decide if the bump was making him seeing things or not. He soon realized that it was a wild Pokémon!

Torchic stared at it. He was about to attack but remembered what his trainer taught him earlier and hesitated. Tyson was surprised that he got through to Torchic.

"Good job Torchic! I guess I got through to you after all."

The acorn was still a little dazed after falling. However, it got right back up and started hopping up and down. Tyson recognized the Pokémon but took out his Pokédex anyway.

"Seedot. The Acorn Pokémon. Seedot attaches itself to tree branches using the top of its head. It sucks moisture from the tree while hanging off the branch. The more water it drinks, the glossier this Pokémon's body becomes." The Pokédex stated the information with a feminine voice.

"Let's catch it, Torchic! This is a time where you can battle!"

"Torchic!" the chick shouted happily.

Seedot continued hopping but stopped at the sound of battle.

"Dot, seed!"

"Torchic, use your Scratch!"

He obeyed and ran towards Seedot with his claws ready for attack. Torchic hopped into midair and began scratching the small acorn. It looked like it was working until Seedot started glowing!

"What attack is that?" Tyson wondered.

Seedot's white glow brightened and he jumped towards Torchic. It looked like a Tackle attack but it was stronger than a normal one. Torchic fell backwards when a collision occurred between the two Pokémon. Tyson looked up Seedot's list of attacks to identify it.

"That was Bide! Ok, then, Torchic, try using Growl!"

"Torchic, torch!" the growling made Seedot stop and wince.

"Now! Scratch!"

Torchic jumped and used his claws again. However, this time Seedot wasn't storing energy. The acorn Pokémon fell back with small visible scars.

"Ok, it's now or never! Pokéball, go!" Tyson threw the red and white sphere at Seedot.

Upon impact, the Pokémon turned into red energy and went inside the ball. The Pokéball shook, with a red light flickering on the button.

"Come on..." Tyson murmured, while Torchic stared in suspense.

The shaking slowed down and eventually came to a complete stop. A loud ping signaled that the capture was a success.

Tyson picked it up and smiled at Torchic.

"We did it! Our first capture!"

"Torch!"

The two decided to go back and finally eat lunch. Tyson wondered how Rika was doing, being left alone with Derek. She was probably getting more annoyed by the minute.

Tyson was right. Rika was holding Mudkip and yelling at Derek, whom had Rapid perched on his shoulder.

"I don't care if it was an accident! Who trains right after eating?!" Rika screamed.

"Hey! Rapid can fly whenever he wants! Your Mudkip should have been watching what was happening!" Derek shouted back.

"STOP IT!" Tyson's command worked, "Look! You two need to get along if we're going to travel together!"

"I never even asked for him to join up with us! He - " Rika tried to talk but Tyson cut her off.

"I don't want to hear it! We need to travel in a group or else we won't ever make it through this journey! So, just try to get along. Alright?"

Rika hesitated but agreed. Derek nodded.

"By the way, I caught a new Pokémon." Tyson released his newly captured Seedot.

"Seedot!" the acorn Pokémon hopped up and down.

"That's pretty cool. Good job." Rika congratulated him.

"Awesome! He's pretty jumpy, isn't he?" Derek was right, Seedot didn't stop hopping until Tyson brought out some Pokémon food.

* * *

Not near from the travelers were another group. They had been following them in secret ever since Oldale. Hidden in the bushes, they engaged in a conversation.

"Why must we follow these ignorant children?" the query came from a sixteen-year-old boy. He had short green hair and wore a black uniform with an "E" insignia on the front of his shirt.

"I don't know. Maybe you should ask the guy that organizes these things." A female of the same age replied, sounding annoyed. Her long pink hair was tied into a ponytail and she wore a skirt instead of pants like her partner.

The two of them turned to a circular object. It had the magnets attached to it on both sides and one emotionless eye. It carried a small television screen below it, which were attached with antennas. The magnets were holding it up.

"Magnemite, let us talk to Earl." The boy said.

Magnemite sparked a little and turned the TV on. It took a few moments but eventually, a male, a little older than the two, appeared on the screen.

"What is it? Oh, it's only Theo and Tara. You need tacos or something? Cause I ain't got any." said Earl.

Earl wore glasses and wasn't exactly the most fit person in the world. He was sitting in a chair that could rotate, while biting into a taco. On his ears were headphones, which were used for communicating. He too, was wearing a uniform.

"We wish to know the reason for chasing after beginning trainers." Theo stated.

"What he said." said Tara.

Earl finished eating his taco and grabbed a clipboard. He flipped a few pages and read it.

"Says here that Agent 302 and 303 are to steal beginning trainer's Pokémon on Route 102."

"You told us that last time! We're not stupid!" Tara shouted.

"No reasons are given! In fact, reasons are usually not given!" Earl shouted back.

"No matter. We shall follow orders and take their creatures away from them," said Theo.

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have burritos waiting in the microwave."

* * *

After finishing lunch, the three travelers continued on their way to Petalburg City. They all decided to leave their Pokémon out so they could enjoy the nice day as well. Torchic walked along side Tyson while Seedot hopped instead of walking. Rapid flew overhead and chirped every now and then. Mudkip, however, was still afraid of other Pokémon. She didn't feel safe walking so Rika had to carry her.

Everyone was pretty much silent. Rika was still annoyed with Derek, and Tyson as well because he was the one who said Derek could come with them. She knew Tyson was right though. There were many Pokémon out there that could be dangerous and traveling with more people was a good idea.

Rika looked down at Mudkip, who was viewing the scenery. Rika knew she had to do something about Mudkip's fear of other Pokémon. She could try what Tyson did. After all, Torchic seemed to be behaving a lot more.

"You there!" a voice cried out.

The group turned around to see a Magnemite and two teenagers.

"Hey! What's up?" Derek asked, like they were old friends.

Theo and Tara was confused by the question.

"Um...Not much?" Tara answered.

"Cool!" Derek exclaimed.

"Yes, it is quite cool indeed," said Theo. He grabbed a Pokéball from his belt and threw it.

Materializing from the ball was a small purple creature that spun around like he was dancing ballet. His eyes were quite large and diamond like. On his chest was a red oval.

"Meet Sableye." Theo introduced his Pokémon.

Tara reached for her Pokéball but it opened automatically and another Pokémon materialized. The creature immediately latched onto Tara's arm with her big jaws.

"Ouch! Mawile! Stop it!" Tara screamed, "I told you to stop doing this!"

"So, is there any reason why you're showing us your Pokémon?" Rika asked.

"Especially ones that are so stupid looking..." Derek whispered to Tyson.

Tara swung her arm and Mawile released her hold. The yellow Pokémon joined Sableye, who was now performing yoga of some sort.

"We are here to take your precious Pokémon away," Theo stated, "Sableye, initiate with Night Shade upon yonder Torchic."

"Mawile, show that Taillow your Bite attack!" Tara commanded.

Sableye stopped his yoga and held his hands on his head like he was concentrating. The ghost glowed in dark aura before releasing a surge of dark energy towards Torchic. Mawile on the other hand dashed towards Rapid.

Surprised by the incoming attacks, Rika jumped off to the side, still clutching onto Mudkip. The water Pokémon now had her eyes closed and shivered with fear. Seedot also jumped to the side with them.

Torchic was hit with the Night Shade and fell back. The chick got up immediately and was now angry. He started running towards Sableye while Rapid dodged the Bite by flying.

"Yo! What do you think you're doing?" Derek demanded.

"Stealing your Pokémon. Do you not have ears?" Theo replied.

Torchic jumped into Sableye but the ghost disappeared.

"Torchic! Physical attacks won't work very well against a ghost!" Tyson cried.

"Chic, torch!"

"Rapid! Use Peck on Sableye!" Derek ordered.

"Taillow!" The bird swooped down towards the ghost and knocked him back with his beak. Sableye just stood back up in a fighting stance.

"Utilize Scratch!" Theo countered.

Sableye jumped into a flying sidekick towards Rapid. The bird Pokémon was stricken by the swooping claws from the ghost.

"Torchic! We have to try an Ember on Mawile!" Tyson knew fire attacks would work well against the steel type but Torchic might not have learned Ember yet.

The chick focused on Mawile and opened his mouth, only to fire nothing out.

"Nice attack, loser! Mawile, Bite!" Tara commanded.

Mawile dashed towards Torchic and clamped him in her mutated steel horn. Torchic tried to get escape but he was trapped!

"Torchic, you have to try Ember again! Think about fire and focus on it!" Tyson encouraged.

The chick closed his eyes and focused. He thought about fire and how it burned. With the images of flames in his mind, he unleashed it and performed Ember! Small pellets of fire began to fill up in Mawile's horn-jaw and eventually had to let go.

"Wile! Ma!" She ran back towards her trainer with a slight burn.

"Good job, Torchic!" said Tyson.

"No way! Cheater! That's not fair!" Tara argued.

"Give that ghost a barrage of Pecks!" Derek cried out. They were still battling against Theo and his Sableye fiercely.

Rapid flew towards Sableye and did as his trainer instructed. Using his beak, he pecked his opponent rapidly until Sableye retreated.

"Inconceivable!" Theo shouted.

"Torchic, Ember!" Tyson instructed.

The chick opened his mouth once again and fired the embers towards Mawile, which knocked her back onto Sableye. The two of them then went flying back at their trainers.

"Ouch! Get off! Get off! Get Off!" Tara's arm was bitten again.

Sableye went down slowly and dramatically as he held his hands in the air.

"We must retreat and regroup." Theo returned Sableye to his Pokéball. He grabbed Tara's other arm and dragged her out of there into the wooded area.

"They were strange." Rika commented.

"Yeah," Tyson agreed.

"Yo! We just won our first Pokémon battle!" Derek shouted in happiness.

"Even if it didn't really count since they just attacked us," said Rika

"True, but we still won," said Tyson, "You guys want to just stop here and set up camp?"

"Sure." They agreed.

* * *

_Curses..._

The dark figure was in a foul mood.

_Creature of Darkness..._

A hound kneeled before the figure. It had large horns that arched back and was almost completely black in color.

"Doom..." it growled.

_You bring...bad...news..._

The hound worried about what its master would do but kept a confident face.

_No matter...I will get revenge..._


	4. Peril in Petalburg

**Author's Note: **This should have been up a while ago, but I had final exams. By the way, thanks for the reviews! They're much appreciated!

**Chapter 4: Peril in Petalburg**

It was just a little after noon when Tyson, Rika, and Derek finally arrived in Petalburg City. They had returned their Pokémon back into their Pokéballs earlier.

The first thing they noticed upon arriving was that the city was much larger than Oldale and Littleroot. The streets were filled with many cars and people. The group were definitely somewhere in the shopping district since they walked along a chain of shops. Although Petalburg wasn't known as a great city to shop in, the group had never seen some of the items in the store windows. There were stores selling clothes and others that sold special Pokémon food. There were even stores selling Pokémon toys!

"We should go shopping sometime," Rika said quietly. She still seemed a little down about the whole Derek thing and Mudkip's fear of other Pokémon.

"Yeah! This is place sure isn't Oldale!" Derek exclaimed, "I still need to buy a medal case!"

"What about my gym battle?" Tyson asked, "We can shop after I win."

"Yeah, okay, whatever," Derek agreed.

"Derek..." Rika started, determined to get the apology over with.

"What's up?"

"I...I'm sorry for yelling at you and it wasn't Rapid's fault for flying into Mudkip. And, since we're traveling together, we should be friends," she raised her hand for a handshake.

Derek was surprised at the sudden apology. He didn't think Rika was ever going to do that. Tyson was also a little shocked but expected it sooner or later, just not this soon.

"Well, um...Sure thing!" Derek shook Rika's hands with a firm grip, "And I'm sorry too! You know, for all those comments and stuff. I'll try to do it less often but I'm not making any promises!"

Rika smiled and felt a little better. Now she had to help Mudkip.

"Anyways, so what about my gym battle?" Tyson asked again.

"I don't really feel like going right now. I want to teach Mudkip that other Pokémon aren't scary. Can you check your PokéNavi and see if there's any parks around?" said Rika.

"Sure thing," Tyson took out the machine and turned it on, "Let's see here...Petalburg City map...Here! There's a small park five blocks from here and the gym's almost on the other side of the city."

"Thanks. I'm going to take Mudkip there for a while."

"But I want you to see my first gym match," said Tyson.

"I know, but I need to help Mudkip," Rika replied.

"Yo! I'll go with you to your gym battle!" Derek shouted suddenly.

Tyson looked disappointed that his old friend couldn't see his first official gym match but he understood. After all, there's always the next gym.

"Alright. I guess we'll see you at the Pokémon Center later then."

Rika nodded and with that, they parted ways for a while.

* * *

Back in Route 102, Theo and Tara were just waking up in a forested area. They had stayed up late trying to dodge Magnemite's Thunder Shocks. Earl ordered it to shock them since they failed the mission.

"That was one of the most dreadful nights I have ever experienced," Theo commented as he rolled up his sleeping bag.

"At least we didn't get shocked too much," Tara yawned.

Magnemite also woke up and it turned on the television to show Earl.

"Morning! Or should I say afternoon?" Earl was sitting in his usual chair in the usual barely lighted room. He was just taking the last bite of his nachos and judging by the traces on the keyboards, he also had tacos.

"I have your next orders here," Earl fixed his glasses and picked up a clipboard.

"Are our orders not to capture Pokémon on this route?" Theo asked.

"Not anymore. You're to meet up with the Flying Ace in Rustboro City,"

"Flying Ace? What a show off! Doesn't he have a real name?" said Tara, "Just who is this guy anyway?"

Earl flipped the page on his clipboard.

"He's a specialist that the boss hired. Apparently, there's something in Rustboro that he wants. Oh, and before you ask, it doesn't say what it is."

Theo and Tara looked annoyed. They hated being left in the dark about their boss's true intentions. In fact, they suspect that almost everyone on Team Emerald have no clue why they're doing some of the missions. All they know is that they're being paid with good money.

"Well, if you don't need anything else, I'm off to get watermelons,"

"Didn't you like just finish eating?" Tara asked, confused.

"That was lunch. Now it's time for my post-lunch pre-afternoon tea snack."

The TV turned off and Magnemite continued floating in midair. Theo and Tara quickly gathered the rest of their stuff and headed towards a hot air balloon a little deeper in the forest. The balloon itself was a replica of a Magnemite and the basket was black in color. They climbed in and prepared to take off.

* * *

Tyson and Derek finally arrived at the gym after walking through many neighborhoods. It was a fairly large building with the words "Petalburg Gym" on the front of it. The building wasn't very modern. In fact, it looked like an old dojo of sorts. The gym was surrounded by a stonewall and behind it was another building, probably where the gym leader lived. There were also two practice fields on both sides of the gym.

The two friends walked up the step leading to the main doors and attempted to open it but it was locked. Tyson was perplexed but Derek pointed out to him a note taped to the side.

It read:

_The Petalburg Gym will be closed until further notice. Gym Leader Norman has important business in Littleroot Town. Sorry for the inconvenience._

"You have got to be kidding me!" Tyson shouted in anger.

"Yo! Calm down! It's not like you can't just wait for the guy to come back," Derek said.

"But it says "until further notice". That could be weeks!"

"Well then let's go shopping!"

Just as Tyson and Derek prepared to leave, a boy of about the same age as them approached the main doors. One glance at him and you could tell he was rich. He wore an expensive looking black jacket, which covered his red shirt, and a pair of blue jeans. His dark blonde hair was spiked upwards with gel and his eyes were a menacing green.

The boy walked passed Tyson and Derek, giving no notice to them. He tried to open the door before noticing the note.

"Curses," he mumbled under his breath.

"Yo! Too bad the gym's closed, eh?" Derek tried to be friendly.

The boy shot an almost evil glance at him.

"How about battling me?" he asked. His tone suggested that it was more like a command instead.

"Tyson! You should battle him!" Derek suggested.

"Sure, why not?"

The three of them walked over to an empty practice field and prepared to battle. It was fenced so they had to open the gate first.

"One on one," the boy stated, "Treecko!"

He threw a Pokéball that had a black top instead of a red one and a small gecko of sorts materialized. He had large yellow eyes that curved as if it were angry or perhaps evil. He stood on two legs and seemed almost motionless.

"That Treecko's a different color!" Derek cried, while getting out his Pokédex.

Tyson also took out his Pokédex and they both scanned the Pokémon.

"Treecko, the wood gecko Pokémon. Treecko has small hooks on the bottom of its feet that enable it to scale vertical walls. This Pokémon attacks by slamming foes with its thick tail." Along with a normal picture of a green Treecko, it also had a picture of a shiny (different colored) one.

"That's odd. His Shiny Treecko is different than the one shown in the Pokédex," Tyson commented.

He was right. The shiny picture shown was more blue and had a red tail, while the boy's Treecko was black throughout except for his eyes and the front of his body, which was red.

"I think you discovered a new colored Treecko!" Derek exclaimed.

"Something like that," the boy sneered, "Now stop wasting my time and send out your weak Pokémon so it can lose."

"Who said I'm going to lose? I choose you, Torchic!" Tyson threw the Pokéball.

"Chic! Torch?" The chick looked at Tyson as if it were asking if now was a time for battle.

"This is a Pokémon battle, Torchic! Just do your best!"

"Quick Attack!" The boy screamed out the command.

Treecko dashed towards Torchic in a black blur and knocked him backwards. The chick was a bit shaken up but got back up immediately.

"Treecko! You're pathetic. You can't even beat that Torchic in one hit," the boy said coldly.

"Treecko," the Pokémon apologized.

"Torchic, Ember!"

"Evade!"

Treecko leaped into the air and Torchic's Ember barrage hit the ground instead. The gecko came back down towards Torchic, pounding him with his tail.

"Torchic! Are you alright?" Tyson was worried. He knew this trainer was strong even though it looked like he just started his journey too.

"Chic..." the chick replied weakly but still stood up. Torchic's eyes showed that he was angry.

"Finish with Quick Attack!" The boy commanded.

Treecko disappeared into a black blur again and knocked Torchic backwards, causing him to faint!

"Torchic!" Tyson ran towards his fallen Pokémon and picked him up.

"Pathetic," the boy muttered and proceeded in returning his Pokémon.

"Dude! You just lost!" Derek said.

"You don't have to state the obvious!" Tyson shouted angrily.

The boy headed for the gate but was stopped by Tyson's cry.

"That Treecko of yours is pretty tough! What's your name, by the way? I'm Tyson!"

Without turning around, he replied with a single word and left.

"Vince."

Tyson and Derek also left and headed for the Pokémon Center to heal Torchic and to see if Rika was there.

* * *

"Your Torchic is going to be fine. He just needs to rest for a bit. If you're in a hurry, I can put him in the PokéHealer."

"No, that's okay. I think we're going to spend the night here."

Tyson was glad that Torchic was okay and that Nurse Joy didn't have too many Pokémon to take of today. He and Derek sat on the couches in the center and wondered if all Pokémon Centers had the same design.

Rika wasn't there yet so they waited and watched the TV that was in the corner of the ceiling. It was just a news report but something caught Tyson's attention. The news reporter, Gabby, stated that there was great fire in Littleroot Town and a little girl went missing. What was really interesting was that people say they saw an Absol before it happened. Tyson wondered if it was the same Absol that he and Rika saw back on Route 101. Gabby went on saying that Norman went there to help.

"So that's why he wasn't at the gym," Tyson commented.

"Yo! It's Rika!" Derek pointed.

Rika ran through the doors and panted. It looked like she had been running a marathon.

"Rika, what's wrong?" Tyson and Derek went over to her.

"Tyson! Derek! It's Mudkip! She ran away after some stupid kid's Spinda lost control of Dizzy Punch! It was right after she started to make friends with this retired coordinator's Marshtomp too! We looked everywhere but we couldn't find her! You have to help!"

"Calm down!" Derek suggested.

The three of them went outside and was about to start searching when a man in a brown trench coat appeared. He had on a light brown hat that covered his dark hair. Both his hands were in his pockets.

"I know where your Mudkip is," he stated in a deep voice.

"What? Who are you? How do you know about my Mudkip?" Rika asked.

The man chuckled and took out a badge. It was shiny gold and engraved on it were the letters P. D.

"P.D.? Pay Day?" Derek was confused, "Are you here to give us money?"

Rika pushed Derek aside.

"Pokémon Detective, genius," she commented.

"I am Detective Jones. Pokémon Detective extraordinaire!" he gave a super hero type pose before returning to his stance.

"Right..." Tyson said under his breath, "So, anyways. How do you know about her Mudkip?"

"Well, Tyson-"

"Woah! You must be a great detective if you already know his name!" Derek cried.

"Hence the extraordinaire part..." said Rika.

"It's really quite simple. There are many clues. I saw you at the park when your Mudkip ran off," Jones pointed at Rika, "Then, when you were inside the Pokémon Center, you mentioned the names."

"Wow!" Derek was very impressed.

"So what you're saying is that you followed Rika all the way here and then eavesdropped on us?" Tyson asked.

"To me, it was more like noticing obvious clues."

"Will you forget about the clues! Where's Mudkip?" Rika was starting to get worried.

"Follow me," Detective Jones instructed.

The group did what he said. The detective led them all through the city. They saw many of Petalburg's sights, such as the Petalburg Manor and the famous statue of Petalburg's founder.

After almost two hours of walking, the sun began to go down and soon Tyson, Rika, and Derek were starting to get hungry and annoyed.

"We've been walking forever! Do you or do you not know where my Mudkip is?" Rika demanded.

The detective turned to face them.

"Of course," he answered.

"Then where is she? It feels like we've been walking in circles!" Rika shouted.

"Your Mudkip is right over there," Jones raised his right arm and pointed at a flower shop. It was a large shop with a big window that displayed many different kinds of flowers. A small sign hung above the door and it said "Petalburg's Beautiful and Sweet Scented Flower Shop."

Rika ran into the shop, almost tripping through the door.

"Hey! Didn't we pass this place three times already?" Derek inquired.

"Yeah, I think you're right," Tyson agreed.

The two of them entered the store with Detective Jones behind them. As soon as they entered, they could smell the flower's scent. Judging by the looks on their faces, the sign didn't lie. All sorts of flowers were in the store. Some hung from the ceiling while others were just sitting on tables.

Rika was hugging Mudkip beside a small fountain. Two young ladies, probably the owners of the store, and two Bellossoms were also there. The two of them were obviously twin sisters. They were wearing almost the exact same clothes and they each wore a single flower in their hair.

Mudkip seemed very happy to see her trainer again.

"Oh Mudkip! I'm never letting you out of sight ever again!" Rika promised.

"Kip! Mud!"

One of the two ladies noticed Tyson and the others.

"Oh, hello. Are you with Rika?"

"Yes we are! And I must ask why such a-" Derek started to make another joke comment but got pushed aside by Tyson.

"How did Mudkip end up here anyways?" Tyson asked.

The other lady had an answer for him.

"Well, I was out with Bell, who's my Bellossom. We were shopping when we saw Mudkip hiding in inside a telephone booth. She seemed so frightened when Bell approached her but after Bell used Sweet Scent, Mudkip calmed down. I brought her to our shop to make sure she was alright."

"Thanks so much for taking care of her!" Rika thanked.

"No problem. Oh, and your Mudkip seems to be somewhat afraid of Pokémon..."

"Yeah, in fact I was trying to get her to be friends with one earlier."

"Well, she seems to be okay with our Bellossoms here. But, she's still frightened every time they get close."

"You know what they say! Pokémon take after their trainers!" Derek said out of nowhere. That got him a punch from Rika.

The group thanked them again and left the flower shop. They headed back to the Pokémon Center.

"So, how did you know where Mudkip was?" Tyson asked Detective Jones.

"Clues are often easy to find. I simply watched the event that the lady described earlier. I knew she owned the flower shop since she had a rare flower on her head," he answered with a tone that made him sound like a know-it-all.

"Then why didn't we go in there? We passed the store at least three times," Rika asked, still holding Mudkip.

"Well, I thought it'd be fun to wait it out. After all, what's a mystery if the answer is revealed so soon."

"We walked for practically two hours!" Tyson complained.

"Yes, well, you all needed the exercise."

"No we didn't! We're on a Pokémon journey! We're going to get all the exercise we can get!" Tyson replied.

"I'm sorry. I have to go. Another mystery needs solving. Goodbye and so long," the detective left the group and headed for another direction.

The three of them were too tired to wonder where the detective was going. They just wanted to get a good night's sleep, since they knew that tomorrow, they had to go through the Petalburg Woods.


	5. The Art of Bug Catching

**Chapter 5:** **The Art of Bug Catching**

"Where's Derek?" Rika wondered, "Not that I don't enjoy the silence..."

"I think he's out jogging somewhere with Rapid flying beside him," Tyson replied, "Did you see where Torchic went off too? He was just here a minute ago."

The two of them were sitting in the Pokémon Center on Petalburg. It was a bright morning and the sun's rays shone through the windows, almost eliminating the need for electric lights. It was pretty quiet since not too many people were there.

Tyson looked around for his Pokémon and noticed that he was trying to pick a fight with a pink Pokémon that was dressed in a cute nurse uniform.

"Torchic! Stop! Chansey's not an enemy!" he cried.

Torchic blinked and obeyed. He went back to his trainer, looking a little disappointed and a bit bored.

Just then, Derek came into the center, looking tired. Rapid was perched on his shoulder and was panting. Both of them were sweating and almost collapsed. It was a good thing the Pokémon Center's doors were automatic; otherwise they probably wouldn't have the strength to open the door.

"Morning!" he said, trying to catch his breath.

"About time. Let's go!" Rika wasn't very patient.

"Let us rest a bit first! I just ran across town and back!"

"Taillow!" the bird agreed to the suggestion.

"That's nice. We're leaving now."

"Alright, fine!" Derek was too tired to argue. He returned Rapid to his Pokéball.

After picking up their belongings, they decided to do a bit of shopping before heading for Petalburg Woods. Derek finally bought a medal case for himself. Tyson and Rika decided to buy a map of the woods just in case, since the PokéNavi didn't have a detailed one. They think it was deliberate to make people buy the map.

After finishing their shopping, they headed for the woods on Route 105. The path was pretty much the same as the last route. There were trees and bushes everywhere, along with fields of grass. The group walked along a dirt path until Tyson came up with a suggestion.

"Hey, Rika. How about a battle?"

Rika wasn't expecting the challenge and was a bit surprised.

"Do you honestly think Mudkip's ready for a battle?" she said while looking down at Mudkip, who was walking beside her. The water Pokémon looked up at her with a confused face.

"You have to battle sometime..." Tyson was right. Even though Rika wasn't going to challenge gym leaders, she still had contest battles.

"Yeah, but..."

"Just battle! It's not rocket science! Mudkip will do fine!" Derek said.

"I know that! I'm not stupid!"

"Hey! Don't start fighting again!" Tyson thought they worked things out but maybe not.

"Oh, calm down. I'm not going to let his insults bother me anymore. I'll just insult him back from now on. It's all good," said Rika. Tyson wasn't sure if anything changed at all.

"So, do you want to battle or what?" he asked again.

"Um...Mudkip, what do you think?" Rika asked her Pokémon.

"Kip, mud," she shook her head and hid behind her trainer.

"Looks like Mudkip's not ready yet..." Rika said sadly.

Putting that aside, they continued onwards. After walking for a bit, they noticed a gathering of people in front of a large stage. On the stage were a big screen, some speakers, and a microphone stand. The stage looked like it was big enough to for people to have Pokémon battles on. A green sign on top of the stage had the words "Petalburg Woods' Bug Chase."

"What's going on over there?" Tyson wondered.

The group made their way over to the crowd. All sorts of people were there, but most of them carried large nets. Everyone was talking quite loudly and seemed to be excited about something.

"Can I get everyone to quiet down?" a girl wearing what appeared to be a Beautifly outfit, was on the stage talking into the microphone on the stand. Her voice was high and had a girlish charm to it.

The chattering ceased and everyone paid all their attention on the girl.

"I guess she _can _get everyone to calm down," Derek whispered.

"Welcome to the annual Petalburg Woods' Bug Chase! If you don't know already know what this event is, don't fret! For I, Beth, the beautiful Beautifly, will explain everything!"

Almost everyone cheered and many people cried out her name.

"The Petalburg Woods' Bug Chase is essentially a bug catching contest! Sign-ups will begin right after the ever-popular "Flight of the Beedrill!" Now, on with the explanation!" just then, the screen was turned on and an image of Beth's face could be seen, "Everyone that signs up will be given twenty super-special Bug Chase Balls! These Pokéballs will only work on bug types and they stop working after the chase! Now, everyone will have two hours to capture the best, the most stupendous, the coolest, and the most awesome bug Pokémon! You can only have one though! You must choose very carefully! The other ones must be set free at the end! All captured bugs will be judged by none other than Bug Maniac Marcus Insecta!"

The crowd applauded and cheered as a young man walked onto the stage. He was dressed in a blue-green shirt and brown pants. He wore large round glasses that stood out and his short hair was black. On his back was a large net. He held a cordless microphone and spoke into it.

"Welcome all! It looks like this year's chase gathered many people! Okay! After I judge all the bugs, the top two will battle with their newly captured bugs! The winner of that will receive the Bug Trophy! Remember, BUGS RULE!" The crowd cheered again.

"I think he likes bugs just a little too much," Derek whispered.

"Why do you think they called him a maniac?" Rika replied.

"Now is the time for the Flight of the Beedrill!" Beth announced. The two of them left the stage and a group of performers wearing Beedrill costumes went on stage.

The performers released at least a dozen Beedrills. Their buzzing were synchronized and they all flew around in circles as the human performers danced. They twirled around and sometimes jumped across the stage in a dramatic manner. At one point, the performers were lifted up by two Beedrills each. Once the show was over, Beth and Marcus went back on stage.

"Wasn't that just absolutely stupendous?" Beth asked. The crowd's response was definitely a positive one, what with all the shouts of encore and all.

"Everyone! It's time to sign up for the chase! There are four booths behind the stage for you to sign up at! The contest officially begins at one o'clock, so you have plenty of time to get ready! Good luck!" Marcus said.

Tyson, Rika, and Derek were still standing when the crowd started to move behind the stage. They were bumped and pushed around by many people. It was a wonder why everyone was in such a hurry when they had plenty of time to sign up.

"Let's go sign up!" Derek suggested. Tyson and Rika agreed and they proceeded in moving to a sign-up booth. It was then that they noticed that there were far more things at this "chase".

Behind the stage were more tents and booths then the four that were mentioned. Everything had a "bug" feel to them. For example, the tents all had pictures of a bug-type Pokémon on them and the skies were filled with balloons of bug-types. People could be seen running around with their Pokémon and some were even battling. There were lots of games involving bug type attacks as well. One had them using Pin Missile to hit a target while another had them using Fury Cutter to see who could cut the straightest.

After signing up, Tyson and his group went off to sit at a picnic table, which had a picture of Scyther on it. They were lucky to get the table since there were so many people around.

"There are so many bugs!" Derek commented.

"Your observation skills are impressive," Rika said with a hint of sarcasm. Mudkip was sitting beside her trainer and was almost crying.

"You might want to put Mudkip back in her Pokéball until the contest starts," Tyson suggested.

Rika looked down at her Pokémon and frowned. She returned Mudkip to her Pokéball.

"Hey! Want to battle?"

A short kid with short black hair approached their table. He wore a white t-shirt and wore brown shorts. He carried a net on his back like many of the people at the chase.

"Yo, kid! Are you even old enough to be a trainer?" Derek asked.

The kid was angry at the comment and started shouting in Derek's face.

"Of course I am! I just don't have a license yet! You only need a license to enter the league! And another thing! Don't call me kid! I'm Bug Catcher Peter!"

"Alright! Just asking! People can be so rude sometimes..." That comment got a punch from Rika.

"I'll battle you, Peter," Tyson accepted the challenge.

"Great! Let's go over to that battle field over there,"

Peter led the group over to an area that was specifically used for training battles. There were four fenced fields but they were all being used. However, one battle looked like it was almost over. It was a battle between a small red worm and a small green caterpillar. The red worm, Wurmple, leaped towards the caterpillar, Caterpie, with a final Tackle and ended the match.

After the two trainers left, Tyson and Peter entered the field. Derek and Rika just watched from behind the fence.

"How about a one on one battle?" Peter asked.

"Sure," Tyson agreed.

Grabbing a Pokéball from his belt, Peter released his Pokémon.

"Let's go, Spinarak!"

"Spin!"

A small green insect came out of the ball. He looked like a spider but he only had six legs that had two yellow segments. On his head was a small horn and on his back was a small face design.

Tyson, Rika, and Derek immediately took out their Pokédexes to scan him. They knew that Spinaraks weren't found in Hoenn that often.

"Spinarak. The String Spit Pokémon. Spinarak spins a web using fine, but durable, thread. It then waits patiently for prey to be trapped."

"Awesome!" Derek said.

Tyson put his Pokédex away and released his Pokémon.

"Go, Seedot!" The acorn Pokémon back flipped out of the ball.

Rika and Derek were surprised at his choice. They knew Torchic's Ember would've been super-effective against Spinarak.

"Are you an idiot! Torchic probably could have finished the battle in one move!" Rika shouted.

"I know, but what's the fun in that?" Tyson smiled.

"Let's start the battle! Spinarak, use Poison Sting!" Peter instructed.

"Harden!" Tyson knew he had to put up a good defense. He remembered from school that poison attacks wee strong against grass types.

Spinarak scurried towards Seedot and was ready use his small horn to sting him. The acorn held his ground while the sun reflected off of him. Spinarak jumped when he got close and his horn glowed in a white light. The attack would have been effecive but due to Harden, Spinarak was bounced back.

_Seedot doesn't know any offense moves except for Bide but he won't last long enough to unleash the energy, _Tyson thought.

"Poison Sting again!" Peter commanded.

Tyson had to act fast.

"Seedot! Show him how you like to jump!"

The acorn started hopping and when Spinarak got close, Seedot jumped past him.

"Spinarak, try using String Shot to slow him down!"

Spinarak shot a string of web towards the acorn. The string stopped Seedot from moving!

"Now use Poison Sting again!" Peter definitely knew what he was doing even though he didn't have a license yet.

"Oh no! Seedot!" Tyson started to get worried, "Harden!"

Seedot hardened under the web and Spinarak's sting wasn't effective again.

"Don't stop! Harden won't last forever!" Peter cried out.

_He's right..._Tyson thought, _Seedot needs to attack somehow..._

"Take Down!" he shouted out the first attack that came to his mind even though he knew Seedot probably couldn't perform the attack.

Miraculously, Seedot charged out of the strings of web! He dashed towards Spinarak and tackled him backwards. However, the acorn Pokémon also got knocked backwards a little. Spinarak had let hiss guard down when he was trying to use Poison Sting so the impact from Take Down was strong. The bug Pokémon was knocked out.

"How did your Seedot learn Take Down?" Peter was confused. He returned Spinarak to his Pokéball.

"I...have no idea," Tyson was just as confused as his opponent. Seedot was hopping and doing back flips in celebration of his victory.

Rika and Derek were also surprised. Derek was going to look it up on his Pokédex but Rika already had the answer.

"I remember this from school! Some Pokémon can learn moves by having it passed on by its parents. I think they're called Egg Moves!"

"Wow...I guess I should study a bit more..." Peter said quietly.

The group left the battlefield and decided to have lunch. Pretty soon, Beth's voice could be heard informing everyone that the contest would start soon.

All the participants gathered in front of the stage again and waited anxiously. Beth and Marcus were back on the stage.

"It's time for the chase! Is everyone ready?" Beth asked the crowd.

Everyone shouted "yeah" and those that had one, raised their nets.

"Let the hunt...BEGIN!" Marcus's words signaled the start of the chase.

* * *

"Where did it go?"

"It's got to be around here somewhere!"

Tyson and Derek were chasing after a quick little bug that went by the name of Nincada. The forest was pretty dark since the trees covered the sky. There were also a lot of grassy areas and small bushes everywhere.

There was only about half an hour left in the contest and all they've caught were Wurmples, Silcoons, and Cascoons. Rika had the same captures but she spotted something different and left to chase after it.

"This is all your fault! I saw him first!" Tyson complained.

"Do you know what Nincada evolve into? Ninjask! One of the fastest Pokémon ever! He'd be perfect on my team!" Derek countered.

"Torch!"

"Taillow!"

The cries of their Pokémon meant that they've spotted the Nincada. Tyson and Derek immediately ran towards the direction of where the sounds came from, which was in a small clearing. Torchic and Rapid had cornered the Nincada at a rock. Surprisingly, this area was lighter since there weren't as many trees. Although, there were a lot of bushes around.

"Torchic, Ember!" Tyson ordered.

"Quick Attack!" Derek knew he had to be faster if he wanted Nincada.

Rapid flew into Torchic just when it was preparing to attack using Ember!

"Not on Torchic!" Derek shouted.

Torchic immediately countered by firing embers at Rapid. The two of them started to battle each other, forgetting all about Nincada. The Nincada, a "Trainee Pokémon, wasn't exactly stupid. He saw this as his opportunity to escape and dashed towards a bush

"He's getting away again!" Tyson cried, "I'm tired of chasing him! Go! Bug Chase Ball!"

"Ditto that!" Derek also threw a Bug Chase Ball.

Nincada was a bit surprised by this move and leaped into the bushes. The two green Bug Chase Balls entered the bushes at the same time and in a white flash, Nincada was captured!

Tyson and Derek ran past Torchic and Rapid's battling and looked to see who caught the Pokémon. Amazingly, both Bug Chase Balls were shaking, which meant both of them caught something! They shook and stopped with a ping.

Tyson reached to grab the one on the right but Derek stopped him.

"Wait! We don't know who's is who's!"

"Mine was on the right...Weren't you paying attention?"

"Yes I was! But they could've bounced of each other somehow or something.," Derek thought for a minute.

"Okay, how about this? The contest is almost over anyways so why don't we both release all the bugs that we've caught except for these ones," Tyson suggested.

It seemed fair so Derek agreed. After all, he had fifty percent chance of getting Nincada. The two of the proceeded in releasing all their captures while the sounds of battle raged on between Torchic and Rapid.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another part of the woods, Rika was watching her Mudkip talking to her newly captured Pokémon. She was sitting on a log in a small clearing and was tired of running. Rika had released all her other bugs except for this one.

"Mud, mud?" Mudkip looked a little confused.

"Lu, ill!" a small blue and purple firefly was waving her arms around.

Rika decided to look up the bug in her Pokédex.

"Illumise. The Firefly Pokémon. Illumise leads a flight of illuminated Volbeat to draw signs in the night sky. This Pokémon is said to earn greater respect from its peers by composing more complex designs in the sky."

"That's pretty cool..." Rika muttered.

Illumise patted Mudkip on the back, which made the mudfish feel uncomfortable. The firefly laughed and floated up beside Rika.

"What's up, Illumise?" she asked.

Illumise made a face at Rika with her tongue sticking out. This didn't make Rika too happy and the bug Pokémon laughed. Mudkip also giggled a little.

"Great...Just my luck to catch a Pokémon almost exactly like Derek. At least Mudkip's not afraid of her."

Suddenly, a loud female voice could be heard.

"The chase is now over! Will all participants please return to the stage immediately! By the way, you should pick your most spectacular bug now and release the others!"

"Looks like it's time to head back," Rika said. She returned both Mudkip and Illumise back to their Pokéballs.

* * *

"Yes, your Wurmple is cute enough but he's just not as rare as some other entrants."

Every participant went on the stage one by one to show off their capture to Marcus Insecta who judged them. Many people caught Wurmples and were disappointed when they learned others caught better Pokémon. One trainer even caught a Heracross but the beetle wasn't very healthy.

"That Illumise is awesome!" Derek complemented after Rika got back down from the stage.

"You'd think so. She's exactly like you," Illumise laughed and jumped onto Rika's head.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Derek demanded.

"Nothing..."

It was soon Derek's turn to release his Pokémon. He stayed cool and hoped that he caught the Nincada. Holding the Bug Catch Ball, he threw it and after the Pokémon emerged, many people gasped.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Tyson shouted in disappointment.

Derek's capture was mostly black except for some golden yellow on his head. The bug's white wings had red markings on them and he flew in a pattern of ups, downs, and diagonals, never changing the direction he was facing.

"A Ninjask! It's amazing!" Beth exclaimed. Many trainers agreed and applauded.

"Yeah! I can't believe it! Nincada must've evolved just when I captured it!" Derek shouted in triumph.

"Your Ninjask definitely has a good chance of winning the chase!" Marcus congratulated Derek on his capture.

Tyson was very annoyed. He couldn't believe that Derek caught Ninjask.

"You might have something better," Rika tried to cheer him up.

"Yeah, might..."

Soon after many more Wurmples, Silcoons, and Cascoons, it was Tyson's turn. He also happened to be last person. Tyson held his Bug Catch Ball in hopes that something better than a Wurmple wan in it. Time seemed to slow down when he threw the ball.

"INCREDIBLE!" Beth screamed.

Tyson's capture was floating in place and was brownish yellow in color. He had a blank expression on his face and a ring that had an uncompleted white ring above his head.

"YES! A Shedinja!" Tyson shouted in happiness.

"Extraordinary! Since Derek was the only one to catch a Ninjask, your Shedinja must have appeared when Nincada evolved," Marcus was bewildered, "That settles it! You and Derek will face each other in a battle!"

With that, Derek ran back on stage with Ninjask flying beside him.

"Good luck!" Rika said but then whispered, "Although Derek has close to no chance of winning..."

"Ready, trainers? Battle!" Beth announced. The giant screen on the stage was turned on and different angles of the battle soon followed.

"Ninjask, Fury Swipes!" Derek commanded.

Ninjask flew towards Shedinja in a blur and began to scratch him. Shedinja didn't move or flinch at all.

"Don't you know about Shedinja's special ability? His Wonder Guard protects him from all attacks except for ones that are super effective!" Tyson smiled.

"No way!" Derek was at a loss. Unless Ninjask knew attacks that were strong against the Bug /Ghost, he couldn't win.

"Use your Fury Swipes, Shedinja!"

Shedinja floated towards Ninjask slowly, who was in shock that he couldn't hurt his opponent. Shedinja's scratches definitely affected Ninjask, seeing as he got knocked to the ground.

"Shadow Ball!" Derek tried but Ninjask just looked confused. It looked like he wasn't as lucky as Tyson with Seedot.

"Fury Swipes again!" Tyson commanded. He knew there was no way for Derek to win the battle.

Ninjask was scratched multiple times again and fainted.

"Shedinja wins! Tyson will receive the Bug Trophy!" Beth shouted. The crowd followed suite and cried out Shedinja and Tyson's names.

Tyson was happy as he received the golden trophy of many different bug Pokémon. After this win, he truly felt like a trainer and was ready for his first gym battle.


	6. Back to School Again

**Author's Note:** This took longer than expected, but at least I got it done! This is also the longest chapter yet. Let me know in the reviews if it's too long or something. By the way, I added a really short disclaimer to the first chapter. You're supposed to have one of some sort, right?

**Chapter 6: Back to School Again**

Tyson, Rika, and Derek exited the Petalburg Woods at last, and took a step into the sunlight. They had been trying to walk through the woods on their own since Derek tore up the maps that Tyson and Rika bought. Derek thought he could navigate through the woods without them. He was definitely wrong. The group had to run from Stun Spore many time from Shroomish, a small mushroom-like Pokémon. They also passed through the same place at least five or six times before Tyson noticed and told the others. It felt like they were wandering aimlessly in the dark sea of trees before they saw the lighted exit.

"I can't believe we wasted like four hours in there!" Rika complained.

"I know! I was hoping to be at Rustboro by now!" Tyson was anxious to get to the gym.

"It's not my fault! Someone should've bought a map or something!" Derek received two punches this time and a slap in the face by Rika's Illumise, who popped out of her Pokéball.

The group continued walking on the route. They noticed there were fewer trees in this area and a lot more flowers. The smell of them brought memories of the flower shop back in Petalburg City. As they continued walking, they noticed a large lake down a small hill from the path that they walked on. Tyson suggested that they stopped there and eat. They could have been eating in Rustboro if they didn't get lost in the woods. Rika and Derek agreed, and they went down the hill.

The lake was enormous. It reflected the sky so it appeared blue with clouds. The group could see some Surskit gliding on the lake. However, the small blue creatures left quickly when they saw the humans.

"Come on out!" Rika threw two Pokéballs in the air and released Mudkip and Illumise. The two of them seem to be good friends now.

Tyson and Derek also released their Pokémon. Torchic and Rapid exchanged glances and looked the other way in anger. The fight during the contest clearly wasn't over. Seedot jumped around and was glad to be outside again.

"Yo, everyone! I've decided to name Ninjask, Quicksilver!" Derek announced.

"Awesome," Tyson commented, "When did Mudkip got over her fear of Pokémon?"

Mudkip was talking to Illumise, and both of them were laughing a giggling.

"Well, Illumise really boosted her confidence, but I'm not sure if she's completely unafraid," Rika answered.

Illumise floated over to Tyson and made a face at him. Mudkip roared with laughter and fell down.

"..." Tyson was at a loss for words.

Torchic and Seedot noticed Shedinja so they walked over to greet him.

"Torch!" the chick's welcome was more like a challenge.

"Seedot! Seed!" the acron said cheerfully.

"Shed..." the newcomer just continued floating and appeared to be tired or bored.

Meanwhile, Rapid and Ninjask met and the two of them decided to go flying. They were good friends already.

The group got around to eating after setting the picnic up, and when they finished, they decided to stay there for a bit longer. Tyson and Derek decided to do a little bit of training while Rika tried to teach Mudkip some attacks.

"Seedot, try dodging Torchic's Embers. Shedinja, you can practice using Sand Attack over there. See if you can make it really big," Tyson instructed.

Torchic proceeded in firing small embers at Seedot, who jumped out of the way with back flips and some front flips. Away from them, Shedinja floated towards the ground quickly and knocking sand, or dirt away.

"Rapid and Quicksilver, we can just work on your speed! Fly up and down the hill twenty times! I'll be right behind you!" Derek's training strategy involved himself training with the Pokémon at the same time.

Meanwhile, Rika got Mudkip using Tackle on Illumise. The mudfish ran forward, and managed to knock the bug back surprisingly far.

"Good job, Mudkip! Illumise, are you alright?"

Illumise laughed and spoke in a way that sounded like "Duh!"

The training continued until they decided to get to Rustboro. They were only about half an hour away now so it wasn't that far. However, it felt a lot longer since Illumise kept popping out and laughing at everyone for no apparent reason.

* * *

"This place is huge!" Derek exclaimed.

The group finally arrived at Rustboro. The city was mostly gray, although there were some trees around and the cars gave off more colors. Everything about the city seemed to have an "old" feel, yet the clothing people wore were all modern, so it wasn't a very traditional city. All the signs on the shops had special designs on them that arced and the lettering were all cursive. What really separated Rustboro from Petalburg, Oldale, and Littleroot was the sheer number of tall buildings. There were large apartment buildings and office buildings almost everywhere.

"The cities just get bigger and bigger," Tyson commented.

"You're right," Rika agreed, "We should find the Pokémon Center first."

"But I want to go challenge the gym leader!"

"I need to sign up for the Search Race!" Derek shouted.

"Don't you sign up at the Pokémon Center? And after the gym, you'll want to heal your Pokémon right away, right?" Rika was right, so the boys agreed and they headed for the center using the map on their PokéNavi.

They found the familiar looking Pokémon Center in no time at all. There were a lot of people standing around the center and all of them were training. Derek immediately ran into the center to sign up. Tyson and Rika followed quickly.

"Okay, you're now registered for the Search Race that will be taking place on the day after tomorrow. There will be more information for you at that time. Good luck!" Nurse Joy smiled at Derek, who blushed a little.

"Now can we go to the gym?" Tyson was feeling anxious to battle.

"Fine. I don't think you stand a chance though," Rika said, "I remember reading that Rustboro's gym uses rock types, which means your Pokémon are at a disadvantage."

"For your information, Seedot's a grass type and besides, types aren't important. They don't always determine the outcome of a battle."

"Yo! Can we just go?" Derek was bored.

"I'm just saying you should have a better strategy, and possibly catch a water type before you go," Rika said, ignoring Derek.

"Look, you don't have to worry. We'll be fine," Tyson said.

"Don't tell me I didn't warn you after you lose then,"

"Whatever, let's go,"

The group left the Pokémon Center and walked down the street, towards the gym. There were many people walking around everywhere since it was a nice day out. The group could see children playing with their pet Pokémon. Rika and Derek smiled as they walked by them. Tyson tried to focus on his upcoming battle.

Soon, they were at the doorsteps in front of the Rustboro Gym. Its outside appearance was noticeably different than the Petalburg Gym. It was made of stone and was mostly gray except for the large sign on the front that read: Rustboro Gym. The door was transparent and on it was a sign saying the gym was opened. Beside it, the group could see a trainer's school, complete with fenced practice fields.

Tyson pulled the door open and they went inside. It was a lot cooler since the air conditioning was on. They could see a desk and two doors on both sides of it. There were pictures hanging on the wall of the gym leader and her family, along with paintings and photographs of Pokémon. It was pretty silent, but then they heard someone shouting in another room.

"How dare you come here and request that I partake in illegal actions! You should leave now or I will call the police," the voice belonged to a female. Tyson guessed that it was the gym leader.

"Geez, calm down. Can't believe you'd actually tell on me. You never change, do you?" This voice belonged to a male and he sounded cool and collected.

"Please leave,"

"Sure thing. Call me if you change your mind."

"I highly doubt that I will."

The door on the right opened and a boy that appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen came through it. He wore dark sunglasses and his dark brown hair was spiked up. His pants were black, his shirt was dark blue and he wore a black jacket. There were Pokéballs on his belt so that confirmed that he was a trainer of some sort. He gave no notice to Tyson, Rika, and Derek, and just left the gym.

"May I help you?"

A young woman in her late teens came through the door. Her dark brown hair was tied into two ponytails that arched inwards with a pink bow. She wore a blue uniform with a pink tie that could have been for school.

Tyson and Derek couldn't stop staring so Rika punched them both.

"Yeah, he's here for a gym battle," Rika answered and pointed at Tyson.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I know the sign says the gym is opened but I...Could you come back first thing tomorrow morning? I just don't think I can battle to the best of my abilities right now,"

"Yeah, that's fine," Tyson was pretty cool about it, "I'm Tyson by the way."

"My name is Roxanne. Again, I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused."

"It's totally fine! I'm Derek!" Derek shouted.

"And I'm Rika. So, let's get going then," Rika had to drag Tyson and Derek out of the gym.

"We'll see you tomorrow!" Tyson shouted.

Roxanne smiled before frowning again, and went back inside the room she came out of.

* * *

"So, how's it going?" Earl asked as he took a bite out of an apple.

Theo, Tara, and their Pokémon were hiding in the bushes of a park. They had arrived in Rustboro the day before. The Flying Ace told them to wait for him while he took care of some business, but he hadn't returned yet.

"It's going ridiculously slow. This "Flying Ace" character doesn't seem very reliable," Theo replied.

"You're totally right! We should just ditch him and go after the thing ourselves!" Tara agreed.

"Go right ahead. I doubt you know what it is you're after, but that's just a small detail," Earl said.

Theo and Tara frowned in annoyance, and turned to see what their Pokémon were doing. Sableye was meditating peacefully with his legs crossed and floating. Mawile was just picking flowers and smelling them. The two trainers turned back to the screen below Magnemite.

"Just hang in there. Other members have it way worse than you two. Take Polly and Carl for example. They're out in Lilycove on a wild goose chase, literally."

Earl stopped talking when he noticed someone coming from behind Theo and Tara. The two Team Emerald members turned around.

"It's about time! Where have you like been?" Tara demanded.

"None of your business. Besides, I'm in charge here so you have to listen to me," the Flying Ace said.

"Well, I'm off. Talk to you guys later," Magnemite turned the screen off and continued floating without a care.

"Just what is it that we're looking for?" Theo asked.

"According to your boss, a new invention at Devon Corp."

"He's your boss too, you know!" Tara shouted.

Just then, Sableye stopped meditating and floated over to the group. Mawile decided to walk over there too but her giant jaw went out of control and it took hold of Tara's arm again. Tara screeched in pain and started swinging her arm.

"No, he's not my boss. I'm not actually part of your team. I took this one time job for the money," the Flying Ace explained, "Now, here's the plan. We'll infiltrate the place during the Search Race..."

* * *

It was nine in the morning the next day when Tyson, Rika, and Derek finally left for the gym. Clouds covered the sky so it could have rained at any time. There weren't as many people on the streets either, although there were a bit more cars then usual.

"You won't take long right? I've got to train for tomorrow's race!" Derek said.

"Probably won't be that long," Tyson replied.

"I still think you don't stand a chance," said Rika.

"Don't worry, I've got a secret weapon from last night."

The group made their way to the gym and went inside. This time, there was someone sitting at the front desk. She wore glasses and appeared to be writing notes in a binder.

"Oh, hello. You must be the challenger Roxanne mentioned. Please, go right in through the left door," she instructed.

Tyson, Rika, and Derek obeyed and went through. They were now standing in the battle area. There were rocks on the ground, along with marked lines indicating where the trainer should stand. Roxanne was there, talking to a group of kids that were sitting on bleachers on the side of the gym.

The gym leader turned around and greeted them.

"Good morning! Welcome to the Rustboro Gym!"

The group walked over to the bleachers.

"Are all of these people here to see the battle?" Tyson asked, with a hint of nervousness.

"They're students at the trainer school beside the gym. You see, every week I bring them here for demonstrations and sometimes they can see me battle a challenger," Roxanne explained.

"That's pretty cool," Rika commented.

"Yo! Hurry up and battle! I have to train!" Derek complained.

Rika punched him along with Illumise who came out of her Pokéball.

"Don't be so rude, Derek."

"Lu, illu, mise."

"Shall we begin?" Roxanne asked.

"Sure," Tyson agreed.

A teenager entered the gym, holding two flags. He wore a blue shirt that had a small Pokéball symbol on the front.

"I am the official referee for the Rustboro Gym," he said, "The rules of this gym are as follows. You must first answer ten questions related to Pokémon correctly before you can battle the gym leader. If you miss one question, you must start all over again. This is a test of knowledge."

"A test!" Tyson was surprised.

"I guess you shouldn't forget things you've learned in school," Rika said.

"Yo! What happens if he loses the battle?" Derek asked, still thinking about training.

"Then he may challenge the gym leader again without answering questions."

"Let's start!" Tyson wanted to battle as soon as possible.

"Question one. Name a Pokémon that has the ability, Truant," Roxanne asked.

The students sitting in the bleachers scoffed and whispered to each other about how easy the questions was.

"That one's easy, even you can get that," Rika commented.

"Right..." Tyson started, "I think...Slakoth's one."

"Correct. Question 2. What are the two Pokémon that Gloom can evolve into?" Roxanne said, and the students almost laughed at the simple question.

"I am so glad I decided to be a coordinator," Rika said.

"Why?" Derek asked.

"No reason, Derek, no reason at all," she sighed.

"Vileplume and Bellossom," Tyson answered.

"Correct. Question 3. What Pokémon can change its type depending on what attack is used on it?"

"Uh oh...um...I can't remember...Oh wait! It's that green guy with the red band! What was its name? Ke..Kel...Kec...Kecleon!"

"Yes, it is Kecleon. Question 4. What does the attack, Hypnosis do?"

"It confu, no! It's sleep! It puts the Pokémon to sleep!"

"Exactly it. Question 5. What type of attack is Curse?"

"Curse, curse..." Tyson was stumped.

Derek scratched his head, trying to remember even though he couldn't help Tyson. Rika thought in frustration as she knew it at one point but couldn't recall. Some of the students were trying to look it up in their textbooks under the "Pokémon Attacks" chapter.

"Ok, it's got to be either Ghost, Psychic, or Dark..." Tyson muttered.

"Do you give up?" Roxanne asked.

"No way!" Tyson felt a little insulted.

"Good, you should never give up,"

Tyson closed his eyes and thought. He tried to picture the classroom on the day Curse was talked about but all he could see was a Slowpoke and a Gastly performing the move.

Wait a minute! When Gastly used the attack, a curse was placed on Slowpoke but when Slowpoke used it...

"I've got it! Curse isn't categorized under any types right now!"

"Very good!" Roxanne was impressed, "Now, question 6. What Pokémon is thought by people to bring disasters?"

"Absol," he answered with ease and remembered how he saw one back when he started his journey.

"Yes. Question 7. Name one of the Pokémon that is a pure ice type."

"Oh...I think Jyn-, no wait, they're half psychic. Oh wait! How can I be so stupid? Snorunt!"

"Yes. Question 8. What two rock types are also part psychic?"

"Psychic and rock, psychic and rock...I think Solrock and Lunatone are those types?"

"Correct. Question 9. What rock and ground type Pokémon evolves into a steel and ground type?"

"This one's hard...There's so many rock types...Let's see, Aron's are steel type already so that can't be it. Golem's aren't steel type, and I don't think Nosepass evolves. Onix...Onix! Onix evolves into Steelix! That's my final answer."

"Excellent. Final Question. One of the three RegiGuardians in a rock type. Which one is it?"

"Is the last question supposed to be that easy? It's Regirock."

"Yes. You have proven your knowledge of basic Pokémon facts. If you are ready, we will begin the battle." Roxanne said.

Tyson smiled and grabbed a Pokéball from his belt.

"I'm ready!"

The two of them went to opposite sides of the gym while Rika and Derek sat in the bleachers. The group of students took out a notebook and prepared to take notes.

"There's no way Roxanne can lose to such a beginner," a boy sitting beside Rika commented.

"Of course he'll win!" Rika defended. _Although, he'll probably lose._

"No way! Roxanne was the top student in her class. She battled her parents to win the right of taking over the gym and she beat them! Her brothers and sisters were so jealous too!"

"Yeah, well...Shut up!" Rika shouted.

"That was the best comeback in the universe," the boy said sarcastically.

"Yo! The match is starting!" Derek said.

Rika and the student ceased arguing, although Rika was still a little annoyed.

The referee stood outside the marked battle area and raised the two flags, one red, and one white.

"This is an official gym battle! Both trainers will use two Pokémon each in a one-on-one battle. This will take place on the rock terrain. The challenger may substitute his Pokémon, but the gym leader may not. There are no time limits. The first trainer to faint all of his or her opponent's Pokémon wins," he announced, "Will both trainers release their first Pokémon now."

Tyson had a feeling he was going to hear that same speech over and over again. He threw the Pokéball he held in his hand and Torchic emerged.

"Chic! Torch!" the chick cried and looked around for an opponent. All he saw were boulders on the battlefield.

"I select..." Roxanne gripped her Pokéball and threw it, "Geodude!"

Roxanne's Pokémon appeared to be a gray rock at first glance, but she definitely had eyes and a mouth. She floated in place with her arms out, ready for combat.

"Begin the battle!" the referee's words signaled the start.

Torchic immediately dashed towards Geodude, but had to zigzag and jump to go through the rocks. His opponent watched him and waited for instructions.

"Rushing in like that isn't a good way to start a battle, especially when you have the disadvantage," Roxanne said, "Geodude, utilize the boulders on the field for Rock Throw!"

Geodude obeyed and picked up a small boulder near him. It wasn't too heavy but it was enough to do damage if it struck. Torchic, oblivious to the last command, continued running.

"Torchic, jump when the rock comes towards you!" Tyson instructed.

"Geodude!"

Geodude threw the rock with a cry. The boulder flew towards the chick and it would have been a direct hit, but Torchic jumped at the last minute. He hopped onto the incoming rock and then leapt off it towards his opponent.

"Ember!" Tyson shouted.

Torchic opened his beak and started releasing a barrage of fire pellets at Geodude. The rock Pokémon blocked with her arms and managed to lower the amount of damage Ember caused, although it wasn't very effective in the first place anyway.

"You should have chosen a better Pokémon. Fire attacks aren't very effective against rock types. Now, Geodude, advance forward and use Tackle!"

"Torchic, try hiding behind one of the boulders!"

Torchic ignored the command and jumped towards Geodude with his claws ready for Scratch.

"No, Torchic!" Tyson was annoyed.

Geodude avoided being scratched by moving to the right. She then tackled Torchic down, and the chick landed on top of a boulder.

"Chic..." he muttered in pain, but got right back up in anger, "Torch!"

Torchic opened his beak again and fired embers at his opponent. Geodude blocked with her arms again to reduce the damage.

"Tyson's going to lose if he doesn't think of something!" Rika cried out from the stands.

"Yo! Didn't he say he had a secret weapon?" Derek remembered.

Tyson couldn't believe Torchic was disobeying him.

"Torchic! Stop using Ember!" he shouted.

The chick heard the command and stopped.

"Chic?"

"It looks like your Torchic gets too exited in battle," Roxanne commented, "I believe it is time to finish this. Geodude, Rock Tomb!"

The rock Pokémon moved quickly and picked up three boulders. She then launched them into the air and the rocks surrounded Torchic.

"Torch?" he was surprised by the sudden attack.

"Try to get out of there!" Tyson knew it was hopeless.

Geodude then curled up into a ball and launched herself into the air on top of Torchic. Upon impact, the rocks surrounding the chick were smashed into pieces, while Torchic went flying into the air back towards his trainer.

"Torchic! You alright? Can you get up?" Tyson was a little worried.

"Chic..."

The chick attempted to get back up. He rose slowly and some dirt came off his feathers. He glared at Geodude and tried to walk but fell down. "Torch..."

"Torchic is unable to battle. Geodude is the winner!" the referee raised a flag.

Tyson looked disappointed as he returned Torchic back to his Pokéball.

"Nice try, we'll win next time," he said, "Now, for my second Pokémon, I choose Seedot!"

The acorn emerged and started back flipping on a rock.

"Seedot!" he cried happily.

"Seedot must be his secret weapon!" Derek cried out.

"Well obviously, it's two on two, and he's using his last Pokémon. Why do you always state the obvious?" Rika asked.

"I don't!" Derek replied.

"Will you guys shut up. Some of us are trying to take notes here," the same boy that was talking to Rika before, said.

"We can talk if we want! Besides, what notes could you possibly be taking when he's just releasing a Pokémon?" Rika retaliated.

"How about the fact that he cares about his Pokémon? If you didn't notice, he said something to Torchic. Also, he sent out a grass type, which indicates he was saving his best for last,"

Rika glared at him in anger and turned her attention back to the battle.

"Let the battle begin between Seedot and Geodude!" the referee cried out.

"Seedot, let's show them your new move! Bullet Seed!" Tyson shouted.

The acorn leaned forward while the top of him glowed in a white light.

"Evasive maneuvers!" Roxanne gasped out.

Just when it looked like Seedot was going to unleash an attack, the glowing disappeared.

"Dot?" he was lost.

"Uh oh..." Tyson muttered.

All the students burst out into laughter.

"Seedot doesn't know Bullet Seed!" Rika shouted.

"Yes he does! He did it yesterday! I bought the TM for it at the mart," Tyson explained.

"Well, it looks like he could use a bit more training," Roxanne said, "Now, Geodude, Rock Tomb!"

The rock obeyed and picked up three rocks like last time.

"Seedot, Bide!"

The acorn stood his ground and took full blast of Geodude's attack.

"Geodude, wait," Roxanne said, knowing the capabilities of Bide.

"Looks like you'll have to unleash the energy, Seedot," Tyson said in disappointment. Roxanne definitely knew what she was doing.

Seedot glowed and jumped towards Geodude. Tyson expected her to dodge, but the rock stood her ground. She opened her hands and took hold of the acorn!

"Seedot! Try and get out of there!" Tyson cried desperately.

"It's no use," Roxanne said, "Now, throw him as a rock! Rock Throw!"

Geodude floated up higher and prepared to toss Seedot, who was struggling to set himself free.

"Dot! See! Dot! Seed!" the acorn cried.

"Geo, DUDE!"

In an instant, Seedot was speeding downwards, towards a large boulder.

"You have to use Bullet Seed towards the ground! Just focus!" Tyson shouted.

Seedot aimed at the boulder but nothing happened.

"It's like back flips! Just focus on Bullet Seed instead!" Tyson was desperate. He had to at least try.

The acorn attempted the attack again.

"See...dot! Dot! Dot! Dot! Dot!"

Glowing seeds began to fire out! Seedot was propelled back up towards Geodude as the boulder below broke into many pieces due to the attack.

"Evade, Geodude!" Roxanne commanded in vain.

The rock couldn't move out of the way quickly enough and was struck by Seedot. Both Pokémon landed back on the battlefield. Seedot was still full of energy and began to hop in happiness that he performed Bullet Seed successfully. Geodude wasn't hurt too badly by the attack, but she looked a bit annoyed.

"Not bad, but you'll have to do better than that. Students! I hope you're getting all of this down. Remember to note Tyson's relationship with his Seedot!" Roxanne spoke to the students, who began to quickly jot down how Tyson got Bullet Seed to work.

"Okay! Seedot, use Bullet Seed on Geodude!" Tyson said, with more confidence.

The acorn aimed his head at his opponent.

"Geodude, dodge behind one of the boulders!"

Seedot fired the barrage of glowing seeds towards Geodude, who quickly hid behind one of the rocks on the field. However, Bullet Seed broke through the boulder, and Geodude was hit! She was pushed backwards, out of the field and into the wall.

"Oh no! How could I have miscalculated?" Roxanne said.

Geodude fell with a thud and was motionless. Seedot began hopping in place with his eyes glowing with happiness.

"Geodude is unable to battle!" the referee announced, raising a flag, "Seedot is the winner! Each trainer has one Pokémon left. The winner of the next round wins the battle!"

"What is up with people stating the obvious?" Rika said.

Around her and Derek, the students were writing down their observations and other notes in light of Tyson's victory over Geodude.

"Everyone states the obvious sometime or another!" Derek replied.

"That's true, I guess,"

"Seriously, you two talk way too much," the same boy from before complained.

"Oh yeah!" Rika peered down at his notebook, "Jacob, is it? Well, if you have a problem with people talking, then get up and move to the other side!"

"Maybe you two should move! You're the ones talking!" he shouted.

"Yo! The battle's practically over anyway! We'll be leaving soon, and you won't see each other ever again!" Derek said, hoping to get them to stop arguing.

"That's a good thing!" Rika said, "Tyson, hurry up and lo- I mean, win!"

"I select, Nosepass!" Roxanne threw out another Pokéball, and returned Geodude to hers, "Don't worry Geodude, you did an excellent job, like always."

Emerging from the ball was what appeared to be a grayish-blue rock with a giant red nose. He was oddly shaped and was quite different than Geodude. Nosepass was like a head with feet and two short arms.

"That's a weird looking Pokémon," Tyson muttered, "You ready, Seedot?"

"Seedot. Seed!" the acorn replied cheerfully.

"Let the battle continue!" the referee said.

"Seedot, Bullet Seed!" Tyson commanded.

"Dot! Dot! Dot!"

Seedot obeyed. He fired the barrage of seeds towards Nosepass, who stood motionless on top of a rock.

Roxanne smiled.

"Nosepass, Thunderbolt defense!"

The compass Pokémon, Nosepass, prepared to initiate the attack. His nose glowed brightly and electricity began to charge from it. A bolt of lightning surged from his nose. It went right through the Bullet Seed, making it useless. Seedot was too shocked to move and was hit by the attack. However, he managed to stay in one place.

"Seedot, you alright?" Tyson asked.

"Dot!" the acorn's reply reassured him.

"Good. Try using Bullet Seed again!"

"The same move twice? Thunderbolt, Nosepass!" Roxanne ordered.

Nosepass charged electricity, and Bullet Seed was rendered useless again. Seedot cried out in pain as he was hit by Thunderbolt.

"Seedot! I have to try something else..." Tyson realized his mistake, _Nosepass isn't moving much, so maybe..._

"Seedot, jump around Nosepass in a circle to make him confused!"

"Seed! Dot!" the acorn agreed.

Seedot proceeded to display his jumping abilities. He hopped on top of some boulders that surrounded Nosepass and jumped from one to the other. The compass Pokémon didn't even flinch. In fact, it looked like he didn't even notice Seedot at all.

"Decent effort," Roxanne said, "But I have trained Nosepass to not fall for such tricks."

"You've got to be kidding me..." Tyson murmured.

Seedot continued to jump even though Nosepass stared blankly.

"Seedot, come back to this side!" Tyson instructed.

The acorn hopped back rather quickly. Nosepass continued to stare into space as if he were bored.

"Let us finish this battle. Nosepass, Thunder!" Roxanne cried out as she swung her arm out in a battle pose.

"Quick, use Bide!" Tyson managed to get the command in.

Nosepass charged electricity again, only this time, the charge was greater. Seedot stood his ground and waited for the attack.

_This is it, if Seedot doesn't withstand Thunder, then we'll lose, _Tyson thought, _No! I have to believe in him. It's the only way we'll win..._

A bolt of electricity came crashing down on Seedot. The acorn cried out in pain as he tried to withstand it with Bide.

"Try and hold on for just a little longer!" Tyson shouted.

"Dot!" the acorn replied through the electricity.

Just then, the boulder that Seedot stood on broke and the electricity jumped to other rocks on the field. The shattered pieces flew towards Tyson. Some struck his face before he could block with his arms.

"Tyson!" Rika shouted in light of what happened.

"Nosepass-" Roxanne started.

"No! We have to finish the battle! I'm alright!" Tyson said as he tried to brush off some dirt.

Nosepass continued the attack, but it seemed to be weaker then it first started. Seedot on the other hand was getting hurt but was also storing energy at the same time. He didn't want to attack until told to do so.

"Okay Seedot! Now! Unleash energy!" Tyson didn't want to see Seedot being attacked any longer.

The acorn's body glowed, brighter than usual for Bide. He leaped forward towards Nosepass, still being attacked by Thunder. When Seedot finally reached his opponent, a collision occurred, followed by a large explosion. The gym immediately filled with smoke, and pieces of rock went flying everywhere.

Tyson and Roxanne shielded their eyes.

"Who won?" Tyson asked.

He looked out into the smoke and could only see a single figure standing.


End file.
